Improvement in pipe-tongs



f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY GETTY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIPE-TONGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,395, dated January 13, 1863.

To aJZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HENRY GETTY, o f Brooklyn, Kings count-y, and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use a new and Improved Self-Adjusting Pipe-Tongs for the use of Gas-Fitters and Others; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and correct description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making apart of this specication, and to the letters of reierence marked thereon, in which- Figure l is a front view of my improved self-adjusting pipe-tongs 5 Fig. 2, a View showing the largest size of pipe as grasped by my self-adj usting pipe-ton gs Fig. 3, a view showing a smaller size of pipe as grasped by my self-adjusting pipetongs; Fig. 4, a sectional view of my self-adjusting pipe-tongs, showing the slotted jaw and spring employed.

In the drawings like parts of the invention are indicated by similar letters of reference.

rIhe nature ot my invention consists, rst, in so constructing a pipe-tongs for the use of gas-titters and others that the same shall automatically adj ust themselves to various sizes of pipe, thus saving the time and labor required to adjust screws, change jaws and pins, fix wedges, rack-teeth, or any of the means now employed for adjusting pipe-tongs or wrenches to various sizes of pipe; second, in the use or employment of the 1in ger-rest to enable the operator to use the tongs with one hand.

To enable others skilled in the arts to make use of my invention, I will speak of its construction and operation.

A shows a stationary jaw, provided at its top or upper end with the serrated cam B, forming what I term the serrated-cam lever.77 The serrated cam B is so shaped that it will, in combination with the hook-jaw C, rmly grasp the pipe, and, when smaller sizes of pipe are placed between the said cam and the hookjaw, will automatically adjust itself to the same.

C shows a hook-jaw pivoted at its lower end to the serrated-cani lever by means of the bolt and nut a. This hook-jaw C is provided with the slot or box on its inner side, as shown in Fig. 4, the object of this slot or box being, as stated, to form a receptacle for the other jaw employed, thus bringing the jaws in close contact when it is necessary to use the tool in corners, or where little room is afforded.

D is the finger-rest, formed on lthe lower portion of the hook-jaw U; and E is a spring, attached on the inner side of the serrated-cam lever, and so bent as to bear against the fingerrest D on the hookjaw C.

'lhe pipe-tongs being thus constructed, the operation is as follows: The operater grasps the tongs (the hook-jaw being downward) between the lingers and thumb, the fingers resting upon the ngerrest D and the thumb upon the serrated cam-lever. By pressing upon the iinger-rest D the hook-jaw Gis thrown out, and, the tongs being applied to the pipe, upon releasing the hold upon the jlinger-rest D the tongs at once adapt themselves to whatever size of pipe it may be necessary to turn. The hand being placed at the extreme end of the serrated-cam lever, and the pipe being rmly and tightly gripped between the jaws employed, by turning the serrated-cam lever up upon the further application of power it (the pipe) is easily turned. To unscrew a pipe, the operation just described is reversed, the hook-jaw G being placed up, the thumb resting upon the n ger-restD,and the serratedcam lever being turned downward. The presence of theiin ger-rest D enables the operator to use the tongs with one hand; enables him at the same time to use a second pair of tongs with his other hand, which is of great advantage in coupling or connecting two pipes together. The peculiar advantage, however, arising from the use of my improved pipe-tongs is, first, that they are self-adjusting or automatic in their operation, and will grasp six diii'erent sizes of pipe. This is of great importance, as in all tongs or wrenches heretofore made, in which a rack or screw or some equivalent device as means of adjustment is employed, the loss of time and nicety ot adjustment required have prevented their successful introduction and, second, but one pair of my tongs is required where three or four are now employed.

W'hile in the drawings accompanying this specication I have shown a handle or lever supporting a serrated ca-m, I am well aware that the invention may be varied by attachcombinatibn with a stationary serrated-cam lever, for the purpose specified.

2. In combination With the same, the lin gerrest D, for the purpose set forth.

HENRY GETTY.

In presence 0f- A. TURNER, A. SIDNEY DOANE. 

